Peter Schilling Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others), 2006. Written and Directed by Florian Hanckel von Donnersmarck. Starring Ulrich Muhe, Sebastian Koch, Christa-Maria Sieland, Ulrich Tukur, Thomas Thieme, Hans-Uew Bauer, and Volkmar Kleinert. Now showing exclusively at the Uptown Theatre. Legend has it that Lenin, upon encountering Beethoven’s Appassionata Sonata, claimed that he could not … Read more
Le Fils (The Son), 2002. Written and directed by the Dardenne brothers. Starring Olivier Gourmet and Morgan Marinne. Showing Friday night at 7pm. and for the children: Les Contes de la Rue Broca. Directed by Pierre Gripari. Showing Sunday afternoon at 2pm. Both films are being shown downtown at the Alliance Francaise de Minneapolis/St. Paul. … Read more
Now that we’re hip-deep in the muck of the winter movie season, we can look ahead to some of the more promising flicks–March and April, in particular, offer some tantalizing choices. I recall my younger days back in old Mt. Pleasant, MI, and the spring giving us little more than cheap horror, lousy John Hughes … Read more
Wanda, 1971. Written and directed by Barbara Loden. Starring Loden, Michael Higgins, Jerome Thier, and Frank Jourdano. You Only Live Once, 1937. Directed by Fritz Lang, written by Gene Towne and C. Graham Baker. Starring Henry Fonda, Sylvia Sidney, Barton MacLane, Jean Dixon, William Gargan, Jerome Cowan, John Wray Walter, and Guinn ‘Big Boy’ Williams. … Read more
INLAND EMPIRE, 2006. Written (I guess) and directed (definitely) by David Lynch. Starring Laura Dern, Peter J. Lucas, Justin Theroux, Jeremy Irons, Harry Dean Stanton, Karolina Gruszka, Jan Hencz, Grace Zabriske, Julia Ormond, Diane Ladd, Ian Abercrombie, Bellina Logan, William H. Macy and the augmented Emily Stofle. Now showing exclusively at the Oak Street Cinema. … Read more
Looking for an alternative cinematic thrill on this most romantic of corporate holidays? Thinking that it might not be entirely worthwhile to see Dreamgirls or Sleepless in Seattle when your feelings are, well, a bit more complex? Here’s a list, thrown together at the very last minute, of some features that will add some spice … Read more
Blue Velvet, 1986. Written and Directed by David Lynch. Starring Kyle MacLachlan, Isabella Rossellini, Dennis Hopper, Laura Dern, Dean Stockwell (freaking unbelievable), Brad Dourif, Hope Lange, George Dickerson, and the original Eraserhead, Jack Nance. Now showing in a new 35mm print at the Oak Street Cinema. Valentine’s Day is Wednesday next, and it’s customary to … Read more
Local 219 of the International Union of Showbiz and Theater Entertainers was recently called to order over breakfast at the Edina Perkins. Bob Anderson, at seventy-nine still an imposing presence with broad shoulders and a strong handshake, pushed his omelet aside, pulled out some notes, and addressed his audience—myself and a waiter. “There are about … Read more
Despite a thin frame and a tendency to shiver uncontrollably, I’ve always been one to appreciate the cold. You won’t find me on the slopes or skating across a patch of ice, however, nor will you catch me clad in some ultra-light nylon parka. I simply don’t see the point in layering, instead preferring old-style … Read more
Do you know who wrote your favorite film? If the names Sidney Howard, Frances Goodrich, and Joseph Stefano fill you with a sense of admiration, then congratulations on recognizing what most of us consider trivial: These are the people who wrote the classics Gone With The Wind, It’s A Wonderful Life, and Psycho. Even among … Read more